In a unanimous vote February 25, the Metro Council, the Portland metro regional government, referred a $250 million a year homeless services funding measure to the May ballot.

If approved by voters, the funds will be used to provide services for people in the Portland metro region experiencing chronic homelessness today. These services include case management, health care, addiction treatment, job training, housing support, and other culturally-responsive services needed to ensure access to stable housing. Additionally, this measure will provide support for thousands of people in our region who are on the brink of homelessness.

The measure will fund solutions that are already working, at a level better matched to the scale of long term, chronic homelessness in the Portland Metro area.

“This will make a huge difference in the lives of tens of thousands of our most vulnerable neighbors—people who are sleeping in a tent tonight, or worried that they are one paycheck away from living in their car,” said Katrina Holland, HereTogether Advisory Committee chair, and Executive Director of JOIN. “Once this is passed, we know that we’ll be putting more people into housing and on a path to success than ever before.”

If approved by voters, the measure would create a regional 1% marginal tax rate on taxable income over $200,000 a year (joint/household) or $125,000 a year (single), and a 1% business net profits tax for regional businesses that would exempt small and medium-sized businesses with sales under $5 million. Combined, the funding mechanism options are estimated to generate $250,000,000 a year. (See below for more background information on the tax mechanism.)

“This measure will help ensure that everyone in our community has access for the most basic of needs – a place to call home, and the support they need to stay in that home,” said Metro President Lynn Peterson. “And under this proposal, the average household would not see their taxes go up. The average business would not see its taxes go up. In fact, 90% of individuals and households, and 94% of businesses in our region would not see an increase in taxes.”

The funding priorities are based on HereTogether’s regional policy framework, which was developed over the past two years by a broad and diverse coalition. The framework prioritizes equity and leads with race.

The agreement also includes accountability measures, such as annual audits, a cap on administrative overhead, and an oversight committee that represents a multitude of voices from our regional community. The measure would require voter reapproval after 10 years.

Support the campaign

We have less than three months to reach as many YES voters as possible. The voter’s pamphlet in each county is a key way for you, our supporters, to help share the message of HereTogether, why you are involved, and why it’s essential to vote YES!

Voters pamphlet endorsement process:

  • Fill out a Joint County Voter Pamphlet Endorsement Form here.
  • Use these instructionsto help you fill out the JCVP-02 Form (please note: we’ll know the measure number later and will fill that information in when we have it; please use Option 1)
  • Return the JCVP-02 form, along with the Contact Form on page 2 of the instructions, to me ASAP via a scanned email or U.S. mail.

Important Deadline Note: The campaign would like all endorsements back to our offices by March 13. The final deadline to have them filed is March 23.

Questions? Contact Cole Merkel, Deputy Director, Outreach & Engagement at cole@heretogetheroregon.org or call 971-313-1528